Recent trends have not inspired confidence in BioWare's ability to create a good PC game anymore. Especially after Jade Empire, I'm going to be extremely wary of anything they put out. Mass Effect was a bit better. Good story and dialog and such, but still rather shallow on the gameplay. It's hard to tell what DA will be like, so I'm counting on a demo, or just waiting for lots of reviews from actual gamers rather than gaming sites.

The difference between DA and the two games you listed are that they were both developed for the Xbox and Xbox 360 and then ported to the PC. This has been built from the ground up as a PC game.

Hopefully they won't do a demo, but some kind of prologue chapter or alternative story. Not focused on the character you will create in the full game, but a different character. Hell, you could kill them off at the end an intergrate it into the main game somehow.

Yeah, I've never seen a bad game from Bioware yet and I hardly expect this one to be bad.

One comment I'd like to add. Bioware is probably one of the last game developers that actually release a game that's complete right out of the box. Hopefully with the EA acquisition of them that remains the case.

Yeah, I've never seen a bad game from Bioware yet

*cough* Jade Empire, Mass Effect *cough*

Sorry, i wanted to like these games, but couldn't. Great looking, good story, enjoyable dialoge ... but combat systems which do not work for me. I stay away from BeatEmUps for a reason and if i want to play a shooter, i play a shooter and not some crippled semi-shooter-wannabe-half-ass-RPG, which couldn't decide, what it wants to be.

Jade Empire was crap, agreed. An hour of playing it with that idiotic combat system and I had had it.
Still, I give kudos for innovation. At least they tried.

More than I can say for a LOT of companies (*cough* Capcom *cough*... it's good to have established 'Franchises', eh? Where'd their intellectual property go, I dunno... but the 'Franchises' are great).

Mass Effect, I felt, provided the best of both worlds in a nice console FRPG. As far as quality RPG gaming goes, it was Oblivion, but it was DX2 either.

I've never found a Bioware game I didn't like. Some were less than awesome, but still enjoyable. Jade Empire was a little disappointing, and Mass Effect was a bit sparse on the meaningful content and I got sick of the same underground facility over and over, but I thought the gameplay was phenomenal.

Jade Empire was a little disappointing

I couldn't bring myself to play more than maybe 1/4 of the way through the game. It was just utter crap. Maybe the story was good or something, but the gameplay sucked so bad that I didn't really care about the story. The interface felt very "consoley" too, which definitely didn't help.

Mass Effect was a bit sparse on the meaningful content and I got sick of the same underground facility over and over, but I thought the gameplay was phenomenal.

Seriously? Do you know what "phenomenal" means? Mass Effect didn't really do anything even original, let alone phenomenal. Gameplay was certainly better than Jade Empire. At least I finished Mass Effect. But it was also very repetitive and formulaic. The story is what saved the game and made the repetition tolerable.

I really hope they do better with Dragon Age. I used to LOVE BioWare games. I'd really like to see them put out another game that I'll want to play through a few times at least. We just don't seem to get those kinds of games anymore.

This comment was edited on Aug 20, 15:21.

Jade Empire had good music.

I loved Mass Effect. It's one of the few games I've played through twice on my 360.

I really hope they do better with Dragon Age. I used to LOVE BioWare games. I'd really like to see them put out another game that I'll want to play through a few times at least. We just don't seem to get those kinds of games anymore.

Bioware still haven't topped Baldur's Gate 2 (and expansion) for me. I must have played that game about 5 times now and I still love it. Hopefully DA can come close. BG2 is still one of the most epic games ever made.

Anyone notice the actual response, "I can't say" is shorter than the PR spin... "You can expect something very creative from blah blah blah fart fart whatev" ?


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http://www.gamemusicjukebox.com/
Game p/reviewer for http://www.gameindustry.com/
This comment was edited on Aug 20, 20:43.

*cough* Jade Empire, Mass Effect *cough*

*cough* Capcom *cough*

Is flu season here already?

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http://www.gamemusicjukebox.com/
Game p/reviewer for http://www.gameindustry.com/

I'm really sure Bioware 'intended' on having more DLC for all of it's games on a console. But just recently Bioware announced that it wasn't sure if Mass Effect would have anymore DLC.

Dr Crushbug, could you shed some of your wisdom and insight on this?

If they even get close to that kind of cRPG goodness again I will be extremely happy. Hell, I'll even consider the purchasing of both KotoR and JE as my part in helping to fund another better than just "OK" Biowares game.

I am excited about the possibilities because a dark cRPG is what they did best.

Bioware still haven't topped Baldur's Gate 2 (and expansion) for me. I must have played that game about 5 times now and I still love it. Hopefully DA can come close. BG2 is still one of the most epic games ever made.

Yep, still my fave too. If DA makes me cry, then I'll probably go back and play through BG2 to help console myself